#but it's their sister company so I know the resin matches

[aro-tarot]

I have the money to get the body for the Astarion heads that I ordered, but I'm debating on ordering the body in another month or two since the wait time from what I've seen in a wait room is 6 months with recent people getting their dolls at 4 months. While the heads won't be finished for another 6-8 months.

I just have a head that I would assume is getting done soon, and there is a body in-stock from one of the dealers that I buy from that has the same neck circumference and matches the resin. They have one in-stock, and it's a 1/4 doll and not a big boy, so it's not as much as the body I was gonna get...

I sent a message to see how much longer the head will be because idk I could probably just save up that other half of the money this month. That way I don't have a floating head and maybe the body won't be headless for as long.

[bjdinfo]

Can you please do a resin comparison of Myou white skin tone with Doll Family-h and other bjd companies that have jointed hands?

Companies that have yellow-toned white skins are good matches:

Angel of Dream, Chicabonita, Doll Leaves, Doll Love, Dollzone/Doll Chateau (sister companies), Mystic Kids, Souldoll, Sugarble, Xagadoll/Asleep Eidolon; Magic Time and Fairyland too, but their MSD dolls are smaller so parts may not be compatible.

Jointed hand candidates (handidates?):

Asleep Eidolon/Xaga Doll white 2021 looks fairly close to 2019 Myou white, and they offer 1/3-sized jointed hands.

Doll Leaves white is described as a good match in a comment from 2022, but the included photo link was broken unfortunately. I’ll see if I can ask the commenter to repost it!

Doll Legend jointed hands might have worked but the company seems to be defunct. ;-;

Doll Chateau’s 1/4 jointed hands fit nicely on Myou Doll’s 1/4 ver. 3 girl body. (A bit small on ver. 1 but still functional.)

—

Companies that have pink or peach toned whites that won't match so well are:

IOS, Luts, Angell Studio, Loong Soul, Doll Legend, Akagi Doll, Migidoll, Dikadoll, Angel Fantasy, Doll Family-H, Doll Family-A

*Doll Family-H white matched in 2016/2017 but is now lighter and has a pinker undertone.

and companies that have paper white skin:

Dikadoll pure white (not sure on regular white), Resinsoul, Dream Valley

Will update if I can find information on other possibilities for jointed hands. Thank you for your ask and please let me know if you have other questions.

White Resin Comparisons by epicari on Den of Angels

K is Myou Doll white from 2019

1. Resin Soul- White 2019 (horn)

2. Magic Time- White 2018 (cat ear)

3. Pipos- White 2020 (ear)

4. Dika Doll- Pure White 2021 (paw)

5. Ringdoll- White (body sent to me by Ringdoll in 2021 but yellowed so older/ unknown age)

6. Aimerai- White 2021 (cat ear)

7. Doll Legend- White 2019 (small hands)

8. Doll Family H- White 2021

9. Doll Family A- White 2021 (changed from yellow tone to pink toned white mid 2021)

A. Luts- Zuzu Snow White 2019

B. Asleep Eidolon- Fairy Snow UV White 2021

C. Wthdoll- White 2017

D. DF-A- White 2019

E. 2D Doll- Pure White 2022

F. Ring Doll- White- 2022

G. Dream Valley- White 2021

H. Withdoll- Cream White 2020

I. Angel of Dream- White 2018

J. Doll Love- White 2017

K. Myou- White 2019

L. Dika Doll- Pure White 2017

M. Soul Doll- White 2016

N. Asleep Eidolon/ Xaga Doll- White 2021

O. Dollzone- White 2022

P. Loong Soul- White 2017

Q. Luts- Real Skin White 2021

R. Withdoll- Light Rose Pink 2020

S. Dreaming Doll- Rose White 2021

T. Little Monica- White 2021

U. Miao Xie Bao/ Kanioom- MMD Half White 2022

V. Angel Studio- Solid White 2018

W. Dolli-pop- Milk 2021

X. Pipos- Off White 2021 (changed from ivory to pink toned white somewhere between 2017-2022)

Y. I.O.S- White 2017 (changed from yellow tone to pink toned white mid 2017)

Z. Aileen Doll- White 2022

10. Dika Doll- White (pink white/off white) 2017

11. Migi Doll- White 2018

Myou White Resin Comparisons by epicari on Den of Angels [2017]

1. Dikadoll white 2017 (not a match- is a little pinker)- Dika pure white is a pure white so also not a match when fresh, however both Dika's whites yellow so older pieces may match)

2. Mystic Kids white 2017 (very close match)

3. Myou white 2017

4. Doll Family H white 2016 (very close match, is a tiny bit lighter) *no longer a match as of 2021

Top left: Resinsoul WS 2018- not at match as much whiter, but could be blushed to match.

Bottom left: Fairyland WS 2016- a passable match

Top right: Angel of Dream WS 2018- a good match

Bottom right: Souldoll WS possibly 2016?- a close match, the Souldoll looks a touch more yellow

Above: Doll Legend 1/3 male hands in white resin are a good match and fit for 1/3 Myou male body in white resin [2017] (jointed hand on left, original Myou hand on right) /sadly I think Doll Legend company is defunct ;-;

Above: 1/4 Doll Chateau hands on Myou ver. 3 body. They fit very well and the size looks natural on this body. The hands and V3 body are white and the colour is a good match.

2020 Comparison by balljointedheart

Withdoll cream white is a potential match, may be slightly lighter.

Dollzone WS (left) and Myou WS (right) by cap’n on Den of Angels [2021]

Myou WS matches (modern) Dollzone WS perfectly. The lighting isn't great (sorry) but here's Dollzone WS (left) and Myou WS (right). They're both a sort of creamy tone.

It is NOT a match to Dream Valley white. I still have Dream Valley white and it is very stark paper white.

[repost-this-image]

Being anti-recast is not “elitism.”

I am pro-bootleg-Barbies.  Mattel is a giant, faceless corporation, and getting a bootleg Barbie doesn’t harm their bottom line.  Plus, bootleg Barbies are cheap and plentiful, both on- and offline.  They’re a doll for children.  A doll meant to be played with and loved by kids, regardless of whether their parents have a lot of cash or not.

Some doll collectors collect playline dolls, and that’s awesome.  It’s a fun, usually-inexpensive hobby.  Sometimes, you can’t find a used playline doll for a reasonable price, like Monster High nowadays, and bootlegs are pretty much the only option.  For playline dolls, I don’t see an issue there.

Playline dolls are both machine-cast in huge amounts, and allow all children (and some adults) to have cool toys to play with.

BJDs, on the other hand, are not mass-produced.  Resin--which is already more expensive than other plastics, just right off the bat--has to be hand-cast, often multiple times, to get each doll part.  This takes hours of labor; hours that need to be paid for so that the artist can eat.  The long waitlist for new dolls?  It’s because of how much time and effort it takes to get even one doll made.  (This is not a hobby for impatient people, like in general.  Waiting six months or more, BEFORE the doll is made and shipped from Japan or South Korea, is normal for a BJD.)

There are some elitists who think that buying a legit doll secondhand isn’t good enough.  Fuck those people; they suck.  Your secondhand doll is just as good as their new dolls.  One of my dolls is a new head on a secondhand body.  The resin doesn’t match, but you can’t tell when he’s wearing clothes.

If the secondhand market isn’t good enough for you, for whatever elitist reasons you may have, then go on Etsy.  A lot of artists design and 3D-print BJDs for sale on Etsy, because even buying a 3D printer and filament is still cheaper than casting resin.  DoA doesn’t consider them “real” BJDs, but (and this is important) DoA isn’t the be-all and end-all of doll collecting.  You can join communities that aren’t DoA.  They exist.  They aren’t all that hard to find.  You can even start your own Discord server if you want.  I’m not stopping you.

Hujoo is a South Korean company that made ABS BJDs alongside their resin line.  They’re Asian; they’re ball-jointed; they often come up for less than $100 on eBay.

Parabox/Obitsu also makes really nice Japanese dolls that are as customizable as BJDs, and in the same huge range of sizes.  They’re also vinyl, so they’re way less expensive.  If you want to go even further into anime-style, Nendroids are also way less expensive than BJDs, and they’re super-detailed and look really nice.  You can even buy a nude, fully-articulated “blank” or character-based Nendroid doll and create your own character.

Pullip by Jun Planning is pricier than the above options, but still less expensive than most BJDs of the same size.  She’s designed to be extremely customizable, too.  Plus, she can wear Skipper’s clothes (as in Barbie’s little sister, Skipper), so you can find clothes or patterns for her for dirt-cheap!

If you cannot afford resin BJDs on the secondhand market, and your doll MUST be ball-jointed, then order the 3D printed ones on Etsy, or find a Hujoo doll which is ABS plastic. 

My point is, there are A TON of ways you can get a nice, collector-quality doll, without it being an expensive resin one.  You can get a collectible doll that is good quality without it being a $500 doll, OR a recast.  It isn’t hard; I literally just named 4 brands off the top of my head, including some that are less than $100.

There’s also ResinSoul/Bobobie, which offers legit dolls at recast-level prices.  There’s still a super-long wait, but if you’re determined to get a resin BJD, it’s worth it.  Plus, they offer a huge variety of colors!

I have been in the BJD hobby for 7 years.  You know how many dolls I have?  TWO.  One took up my entire tax refund for that year.  The other is a head and body that were purchased separately, and the body is secondhand.  Having one or two BJDs is doable, if you’re willing to scrimp and save and wait long periods of time between dolls.  The “elites” of this hobby are rich folks who can afford to buy a dozen dolls within a few years, not people like me who just want to enjoy one or two luxury collectible dolls without people acting like I’m a sucker for not getting a bootleg.  Because all of these dolls are a luxury.  Nendoroid dolls just happen to be a way less expensive luxury than a Fairyland Pukifee.

[amazingorangedangantrash]

Give us the list of gifts!! I’m curious to know what they would give,,

You got it chief!

(Sorry this is a tad late, life has been kicking my butt lately-)

• Chiaki- probably a game or something like that. Most likely a multiplayer, and a promise for the two of them to play it together sometime. She might bring his switch or smth if she knows he'll be there a long time and get bored.

• Hajime- his underwear unlike everyone else, a relatively normal gift, like chocolates or something. they're orange flavoured He'd probably also be the one bringing him general stuff, like a change of clothes and all that.

• Nagito- also his underwear honestly, Nagito is one rich hoe so you know whatever he brings is going to be extremely high quality (especially for his beloved symbol of hope!). It's mentioned in UDG that Makoto likes trendy things, so maybe something he knows Makoto's had his eye on for a while now, but couldn't quite afford.

• Peko- honestly, Peko has zero experience in gift-giving, and probably turns to Fuyuhiko for help. Little does she know, he also has no fucking clue-

• Fuyuhiko- the guy has no idea how to give casual gifts. Makoto just wakes up one day and there's a newly crafted authentic sword embellished with the Kuzuryu clan name lying in the corner wrapped in silk, and he's just like... 'thanks... ig-'

• Jokes aside, he'd probably give him a nice watch or suit- guy's gotta look good when he confronts his rivals attends school.

• Nekomaru- hmm. He's a pretty sporty person, so maybe a tracksuit or gym clothes? Or no- maybe a nice planner/to do list to scribble in. (To Makoto's surprise, it's actually very pretty, and even handmade!)

• Akane- we all know the way to Akane's heart, and it's food- she'd probably bring him a lot of snacks and stuff, especially whatever's his favourite (maybe a bit too much... well, it's not like he minds sharing. Although, maybe that was her plan all along...)

• Ibuki- she'd bring along some CDs and music he likes/she thinks he'd like. It's the perfect opportunity to get him to listen to some of her reccomendations! Also, here's a cute idea- she brings her guitar and sings to/with him in his room.

• Mikan- Mikan is most likely the one actually looking after Makoto, but I guess if she'd had to gift something, it might be some cute stationary? (*looks at Mr stapler-*). I feel like she'd want to give something handmade, like cookies, but she's a bit clumsy and wouldn't be able to make it.

• Teruteru- ok teruteru would DEFINITELY give homemade snacks and stuff. He'd for sure insist on making Makoto's meals (in exchange for helping him with uh... changing his bandages-)

• Sonia- she might realise that Makoto is likely to get bored, and leave him some of her favourite reading material (unfortunately for him, said material is occult magazines, the current issue of which is centred upon a haunting at a hospital... he doesn't sleep well that night-)

• Gundham- isn't it sweet to imagine Gundham might actually leave one of his animal friends to keep Makoto company (even moreso if it's one of the Dark Devas- ahhh that level of trust)- or as he'd say, to "keep watch over him".

• Hiyoko- knowing Hiyoko, she'd probably leave a LOT of sweets. Most likely the traditional japanese kind too, though, there's a fair share of gummies and chewy sweets too.

• Mahiru- she has quite an eye for pretty things, so I think she'd leave some rather nice flowers, maybe in resin, like a bookmark or table decoration. Or, maybe she'd leave some polaroids to remind him of how much they all appreciate him.

• Kazuichi- a television. But not the hospital kind, oh no, this one he built specially for his bud. And maybe some other little gadgets here and there. (Also some coconut water, cause, he just likes it man-)

• Twogami- he'd.. probably copy Byakuya tbh *wheeze*

• Ryouta- a copy of a particular anime that he knows Makoto will like/cheer him up (I'm looking at you, *insert your favourite comfort anime series/movie here*)

Class 78

• Byakuya- knowing this guy, he'll buy whatever's expensive- he might even leave some of that pricey coffee because he "cant stand to see Makoto drinking that commoner crap anymore-" (insert that scene from ouran high school host club here-). Although... i cant remember but i think it was mentioned that he likes flowers? He might leave those.

• Kyoko- she actually likes some pretty feminine things, like perfume and cherry blossoms. I can see her leaving one of those really nice pens/journals. Or a set of some nice lotions/stuff like that.

• Aoi- donuts, duh. (She really likes cute stuff too, so maybe some adorable erasers!)

• Sakura- don't let her appearance as a wannabe jojo character fool you! she likes some delicate things. She might leave a rather beautiful charm, as a token of her friendship. Due to her practicality, I can also see her leaving vitamins and health supplements to make sure Makoto recovers quick!

• Yasuhiro- he's pretty superstitious, so alongside some nice scented candles (pine tree and summer berries, to be specific, to match Makoto's 'vibes') to clear the air, he'd leave some good luck charms to keep away any um- 'ill-intentioned spirits'.

• Toko- she definitely likes receiving very girly gifts, but I don't know if she'd feel very secure about giving them? Maybe she'd give him a signed copy of one of her books- maybe even a personal one she wasn't really planning on publishing...

• Genocide Jill (or however you call her idk)- JILL PUT DOWN THE SCISSORS- JILL- N O-

• she gave him a coupon for a haircut. That's... considerate (he'll let his hair grow to his feet before he lets her scissors anywhere near his neck-)

• Hifumi- 'please,,, please let this be a normal, completely safe for work piece of storytelling', Makoto thinks, as he opens the doujinshi, already perturbed by the... *ahem* somewhat suggestive cover.

(It is not safe for work)

• Celeste- a rather aesthetic pair of red and black glittery dice, and playing cards. (He finds that the dice are loaded and the cards are slightly uneven). I also like to think she might leave him some high quality tea and a set- (as a tea lover myself I'd definitely appreciate that as a gift hehe)

• Chihiro- they also like cute things! They'd definitely leave a totally adorable set of charms or something (I'm thinking of those ones that you'd hang from your phone), or pretty flower stickers for a laptop. Maybe a handmade gift too!

• Kiyotaka- he's that guy who brings the homework most likely something practical, like a scarf or coasters, y'know, that kind of stuff?

• Mondo- an entire motorcycle maybe- maybe just a leather jacket for now...

• Sayaka- he likes pop music, and I'd imagine he likes hers too (maybe not as much as his sister tho adjajsaisb-). She'd give him an album of covers she'd made, since she knows he likes her voice- all his favourite songs.

• Leon- a signed baseball. Makoto's the only one he's confided in about wanting to go back to baseball about, so he gives him a signed one as a token of appreciation.

• Mukuro- a confession letter. Mukuro has no idea what to give. Her love language is bullets and weapons and oh wait a minute.

• "Is... is this an actual gun-?"

• Junko- chocolates. Yup. That's it. They're just chocolates. Promise. 100% dairy-filled, ethically produced, got-em-on-sale chocolates.

• (And they may or may not be lined with Carolina reaper pepper extract-)

Bonus:

• Izuru- literally all of these but handmade and 200 times better because he's an actual god-

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8a/df/ca/8adfcaa6bc7579f028bf5d0b34583dd5.jpg)

[drwcn]

Yes anon! You’re completely right. I wrote a (somewhat long) passage from btsf, a conversation between Lan Xichen and Jiang Yanli explaining the details of the engagement, featuring our oblivious boys wangxian. 

-

The contract laid in front of him in black and white, the ink drying as he allowed the finality of the transaction to sink in. Lan Xichen carefully eased the excessive pine resin from his brush tip so no blotches would dribble and ruin the paper. Only then did he fill in his signature adjacent that of Jiang Yanli.

Picking up the cloud emblem seal of Gusu Lan, Lan Xichen considered the hefty weight of the white jade in his hand and the decision he was making on behalf of his little brother. His eyes flicked up, looking to his Yunmeng counterpart across the room and seeing she was about to do the same. Wangji liked Wei Wuxian immeasurably, of that he was sure, or else he would not have fought the Elders and his uncle tooth and nail for this engagement. But did Wei Wuxian feel equally for Wangji? Lan Xichen could only guess on the younger man's reaction to all this, and wondered that as his elder sister, if Jiang Yanli felt the same hesitation he did in this moment as she pressed her signet seal, a lotus carved from amethyst, slowly and firmly into fine white parchment.

If she felt it, she didn't show it. Yunmeng's youngest sect master, their first ever female head of family, was not what anyone had expected.  

When the legalities were complete, both he and Jiang Yanli stood from their dais.

"I hear our brothers are running drills with the disciples. Shall we go see?" she suggested.  

Truth be told, neither Lan Xichen nor his uncle paid much attention to her when the Jiangs came to study at Cloud Recesses. Jiang Cheng was - had been - young and inexperienced, prone to outbursts and became abrasive when challenged. Wei Wuxian, living up to his name sake, was in a whole category by himself, with none to compare. Their sister, however, became something of a surprise. She was, in Xichen's opinion, perhaps the most pleasant and well-mannered young lady of their generation. Not bold nor withdrawn, not somber nor frivolous, amicable yet always knew how to keep others at an appropriate distance.

Lan Xichen extended a hand courteously, "After you, Jiang-zongzhu." [zongzhu = sect master, a gender neutral term]

"Binghu, Shuangxue, you're both dismissed."

"Zongzhu…" Her guards, ever diligent, were hesitant to leave. Since their arrival at Unclean Realm, Lan Xichen had yet to see her without them, which was understandable considering Jiang Yanli herself was not a cultivator and rumoured to be of poor health.  

"This is Qinghe Nie's territory, and I am in the company of Zewu-jun. I am in no danger. You've both been so busy. Take the afternoon off." Jiang Yanli gave them a meaningful nod, to which they bowed their heads and conceded.

"Understood."

Qinghe Nie's Unclean Realm was built like a fortress, a citadel intended for protection and intimidation. It lacked Cloud Recesses' air of tranquility and had none of Lotus Pier's blithe. The oak and stone  surrounding Lan Xichen and Jiang Yanli were nothing like the homes they knew, but within these walls, they were allowed a moment's reprieve to breathe.

Even though the formal robes on their backs felt too big for their persons, even if the guan and headdress upon their heads weighed like the combined lives of every loved one they had lost...

Lan Xichen wondered if like him, Jiang Yanli's neck ached under the pressure of the sterling and pearls in her hair.

For now, they were done away with the formalities. He felt it was an appropriate time to discuss this marriage matter, not as sect masters, but as elder siblings who both cared for their brothers very much.

"I must confess," He began. "Nie-xiong was none too happy to hear you've accepted my clan."

"Really? Why is that?" Jiang Yanli blinked innocently, but the corner of her lips twitched, belying her amusement.

"Oh come now, Jiang-zongzhu, don't be coy. Surely you've heard of Mingjue's intention of aligning Qinghe with Yunmeng through Huaisang. He and Wei-gongzi have always gotten along, so it was only natural that Mingjue-xiong thought them well matched."

"I'm sure Nie-zongzhu meant well, and I'm sure when it came down to it, Nie-gongzi and A-Xian may not even have minded, but as you and I both agree, our brothers make for a much more…serendipitous pair."

They strolled across the stone overpass connecting two buildings, pausing mid way to observe by the railing. In the courtyard below, a group of Yunmeng Jiang's disciples in their violet and navy robes were paired with their Gusu Lan counterparts, both struggling through what seemed to be a particularly difficult sparring drill.

At one end of the courtyard stood Wei Wuxian with his arms crossed, his spine straight, calling out instructions over his disciples' huffs, groans, and whines of pain. Straining under the aggressive nature of the exercise, some Lans looked to Lan Wangji posted at the opposite end, hoping he would speak up on their behalf. To their dismay, their Hanguang-jun had no intention of helping them.

Lan Wangji's eyes were solely fixed on Wei Wuxian, on his tall lean figure framed by the dark cape of his uniform, fluttering in the autumn wind. A strong gust swept his hair back from his shoulders, giving attention to the arch of his neck and his comely face. Wei Wuxian, that oblivious boy, didn't seem to notice at all, his attention completely focused on his students. Then from the corner of his eyes, he sneaked a subtle glance towards the Second Jade (who appeared as handsome as ever in his opinion) but it was too late. Lan Wangji had already looked away.  

Lan Xichen chuckled and shook his head. "They needed the push. Who knows how long it would've taken them if we left them to it. A decade at least, I'm willing to bet."

"Yes, but we couldn't have waited that long, could we? You're right, for Yunmeng, I would have agreed to Nie Huaisang, but in my heart, I had hoped I could find someone who would truly love my brother, as he deserved to be loved. I would hate to be parted from him for anyone less worthy."

Jiang Yanli's eyes were downcast, distant.

My brother.

Once, she might've had to clarify which younger sibling she meant, but that was no longer necessary. Lan Xichen couldn't even begin to imagine her anguish. To lose Wangji at all, never mind in the horrifying way she had lost Jiang Cheng, was unthinkable.

"Does Lan-er-gongzi know? The conditions of the marriage?" asked Jiang Yanli, turning to him. The grief Xichen detected just moments ago had completely submerged once again beneath her poise. "Gusu Lan agreed to everything Yunmeng Jiang asked; I can't see that being a very easy sell for the Grandmaster and your Elders. I had thought even your brother himself would've objected."

Not easy was an understatement. Uncle had been apocalyptic, and the Elders not much better. It was no secret amongst Gusu's inner circle that there had been plans to choose a bride for Lan Wangji for some times. While Lan Xichen as Sect Master was positioned to marry advantageously for the purposes of alliance, the Elders and especially Uncle had wanted someone from within Gusu for Wangji, a female distant cousin perhaps, or an outer disciple of grace and good cultivation. At worst, if Wangji were to marry from another clan, it would be them marrying into Cloud Recesses, not the other way around.

But Jiang Yanli had been adamant that whoever Wei Wuxian deigned to marry would be joining him in their sect, and that her brother would not be forced to leave his home and his family under any circumstances. What she didn't say, which all parties perfectly understood regardless, was that Wei Wuxian could not  leave Yunmeng. His position as her brother, her closest advisor, and Yunmeng's strongest fighter made marrying out an impossibility.  

Which was why Nie Mingjue didn't hesitate much to suggest Nie Huaisang, because the younger Nie brother's temperament would have been better suited to a life in Lotus Pier anyway. Lan Wangji on the other hand…

"Wangji knows." Lan Xichen replied. "Once the war is over and they are married, he will be moving to Lotus Pier with Wei-gongzi. He will no longer be privy to the inner workings of Gusu, no longer eligible for the tenure of an elder, and no longer permitted to vote on our internal affairs. All this, he accepts."

By now, the disciples down below have noticed their presence, but the two clan leaders motioned for them to carry on.

Lan Wangji returned his attention to the training, but Wei Wuxian still bowed respectfully to his shijie and Lan Xichen. He seemed so different from the loud, audacious boy wrecking havoc up and down Cloud Recesses. Without Jiang Wanyin, Wei Wuxian was exposed, pushed to the forefront of everyone's scrutiny, the only defense between his sister and heaven, hell, and man.

He knew it, and so did everyone else.  

His sister waved fondly at him. As you were, her gesture seemed to say.

"When you put it like that, it sounds less like a marriage and more like exile. I know my brother; he would not mistreat Lan-er-gongzi, but nevertheless," Jiang Yanli looked up to face him. "Thank you, Zewu-jun. I'm sure the decision was not easy."

Lan Xichen closed his eyes momently and shook his head. "Mn. Not easy for those us he leaves behind perhaps, but my brother has always wanted simple things: family, unity, understanding. He will not have that in a marriage my Uncle arranges for him. Uncle means well, and maybe in time Wangji can learn to cope, to accept, but I cannot. I share your desire to see our own brothers happy, Jiang-zongzu, and marrying another will not bring Wangji happiness. This way, he may have lost some things, but he will still be permitted to teach at Gusu during the lecture season and to tutor our younglings. For him, that should be enough."

Jiang Yanli met Lan Xichen's eyes steadily, in between them hung words unspoken, heavy and binding.

They do not mention that by marrying Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji will yield his position as his brother's heir presumptive and his right to inherit.

They do not mention that any children Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji may adopt or father with subsidiary spouses would belong to Wei Wuxian and be granted no Lan privileges.

In particular, they do not mention the two special clauses that Jiang Yanli had added as a peace offering to demonstrate her goodwill. In the clause, it detailed that in the event of an arms conflict between Gusu and Yunmeng, Lan Wangji may choose to unilaterally divorce Wei Wuxian and return to Gusu and his previous status, to take up arms and defend the clan of his blood. It also detailed that any children fathered by Lan Wangji may forfeit their Jiang status and reclaim Lan privileges in the event of a divorce.

Neither of their brothers knew of the special clause, and they would never know, until they need to.

For the Elders of Gusu Lan, to part with their Hanguang-jun must be akin to an amputation of the limb. Yunmeng Jiang's demands may have been blunt, but these were desperate times, and it saved no one's face to pretend otherwise. Marriage alliance between male heirs were not usually arranged for this exact reason. Issues of inheritance and loyalty too often became messy - or worse - bloody if not laid out straight from the start. Jiang Yanli had hoped that the inclusion of the special clauses would convey her understanding of Lan family's worries and the sincerity of her alliance. She had no intention of making enemies of people from whom she sought support.

"It's cold up here, isn't it, where we stand." Jiang Yanli lamented after a long stretch of silence. The wind of Qinghe in October was indeed biting, but somehow that didn't seem to be what she meant.

Lan Xichen sighed. "I've seen my share of unhappy unions, as I’m sure you have too. Our brothers' will be a happy one."

"I do hope so, Zewu-jun. I do hope so."

[professorpalmarosa]

I made Fullmetal Alchemist-inspired bath bombs!

Remember how I said that I have a secret side project in the works for this year? Here’s the big reveal: it’s a Fullmetal Alchemist story focusing on a pair of minor characters who only appeared in a light novel (The Land of Sand) and the 2003 version of the series. This guy in particular...

The Unholy Man of the North will be 2003 anime canon-compliant (rather than Brotherhood-compliant) and takes place 1 year after the original series ended. Russell Tringham (a young alchemist who has stolen Ed’s identity before) falls back on old habits, convinces someone he’s Edward Elric...and ends up getting kidnapped by foreigners. Before long, he’s dragged into a political conspiracy to rid the Drachman tsar of his family’s spiritual advisor: a priest the tsar’s brother-in-law believes may be performing some old, occult variant of what Amestris calls alchemy.

While I won’t be releasing this story to anyone other than beta readers until the first draft is complete (I’m about 50,000 words in), I can share a related creative endeavor with you.

Russell and his brother Fletcher created an artificial Philosopher’s Stone (a “Red Stone”) that, while powerful, didn’t quite measure up to the real thing. That had me thinking: what if I made a luxury blend...then intentionally tried to dupe it with ingredients I often use as substitutes? Here’s how it turned out!

Details are listed below, including the recipe if you want to try making “Cruelty-Free Philosopher’s Stones/Red Stones” at home!

Philosopher’s Stone Bath Bomb

Essential Oils:

Frankincense Carteri (2g)

Elemi (1g)

Finger Root (1g)

Clove (1g)

Mandarin (1g)

Cedarwood (Texan) (1g)

Colorants:

Red 40 Blooming Dye (Activated)

Red 23 Blooming Dye (Activated)

Red Oxide

Red Mica (for sparkle)

Look at this pretty color! The pink tint comes from the Red 23--but don’t overdo it! Add too much pink colorant and you’ll be pink too! This is what the mixture looked like before I added baking soda and citric acid.

Red Stone Bath Bomb

Essential Oils:

Frankincense Serrata (2g)

Myrrh (1g)

Ginger CO2 Supercritical (1g)

Cardamom (1g)

Blood Orange (1g)

Cedarwood (Himalayan) (1g)

Colorants:

Red 40 Blooming Dye (Activated)

Red Oxide

Red Mica (for sparkle)

Additional Additives:

Bath-grade pop-rocks (5g)

The first thing to note about the Red Stone blend is that it doesn’t have the splash of pink that the Philosopher’s Stone blend does. This is because I excluded the Red 23 blooming dye and traded it for more Red Oxide. This is what the mix looked like prior to adding the baking soda and citric acid. In person, it kind of looked like half-congealed blood...

The bath water was gorgeous, though! After the froth and foam died down, the color was the exact same shade as the Red Water in the anime! The scents played nicely together and I found myself dozing off in the water.

However, I’m not sure if it was the oils in this bomb or something else--but my sleep suffered after using the leftovers. I woke up from a very vivid nightmare at 2 AM and had to pee (Myrrh can stimulate your kidneys in higher doses, so my sleeping in the bath probably didn’t do me any favors).

Once I returned to bed, it was near impossible to turn my brain off again. It was going into overdrive with ideas and only let me rest again after I wrote everything down. A small silver lining to the nightmare: it did give me some pretty good ideas for the story I’m writing...so at least there’s that?

Now for a bit of good news, the Red Stone didn’t stain me or my tub! Once it went down the drain, the only thing that lingered was the smell. And even that disappeared by 2 AM.

Procedure

Mix wet ingredients (essential oils and carrier oil. For these blends, I used coconut and have some notes regarding that in the “Tips & Safety Warnings” section)

Mix all dry ingredients (300g Sodium Bicarbonate, 15g Cream of Tartar, 5g Kaolin Clay, 5g Rassoul Clay, 10g SLSA, 3g Titanium Dioxide) except Citric Acid (150g)

Mix dry ingredient blend with wet ingredients until color and texture is consistent.

Add Citric Acid and mix evenly.

Pour into molds and allow to cure for 1-2 days

Tips & Safety Warnings

1. NEVER handle essential oils with your bare hands! These chemicals are VERY potent and your body can absorb them through your skin. You should always wear gloves when handling these sorts of projects.

2. Coconut Oil solidifies at room temperature! This means that you’ll need to heat it up when you’re mixing your wet ingredients. If you’re making multiple batches at the same time, it’s also possible your coconut oil will resolidify. I made a poor man’s double boiler in my lab out of a bowl of hot water and just let the containers where I’d mixed my wet ingredients float on top of the water. It kept them in a liquid state until I was ready for them. Of course, you could always substitute for another (easier) carrier like Rosehip or Argan Oil--but I wanted to include this in case you’re using Coconut.

Take a look at the oils I’ve mixed in this photo. See how it’s getting cloudy? That’s the coconut oil resolidfying:

3. Too much Red 23 may stain you and your bathtub! I haven’t had any problems with Red Oxide or Red 40, but Red 23 (which is what gives the Philosopher’s Stone its pinkish hue) and I have a love/hate relationship. It’s a beautiful colorant and a little goes a long way, but it can stain you like nothing else if you overdo it!

4. If you are using mica colorant in your bath bomb, be sure to include a little Polysorbate 80 to your wet ingredients too! Mica can make your bombs sparkle and glitter, but it will stick to EVERYTHING if you don’t add Polysorbate 80!

5. If you plan to make these for yourself or as gifts, please look up contraindications and potential side effects of overexposure to these oils first. Some oils are not safe for children, people with certain medical conditions, or people taking certain medications. Some people may also be allergic to certain ingredients and the scent of myrrh makes some people nauseous (three guesses why it went in the Red Stone blend). Just be cautious and conscientious!

End Result

Here are the two blends side by side. There’s only one Philosopher’s Stone in the image, but it’s rather obvious which one it is thanks to the Red 23.

I’m mildly creeped out by how similar the scent profiles are to the two blends. Sometimes I’ll substitute one of these oils for another when I’m running low in a popular blend, but this was my first time literally using ALL substitutes to make a dupe. Here are my notes:

The first thing you smell in both stones is a rich, luxurious, resin-like scent. This is because both synergies contain Frankincense (which is a resin oil) and a secondary resin oil (Elemi in the Philosopher’s Stone and Myrrh in the Red Stone).

Although both stones contain a citrus oil; you only smell traces of it in the Red Stone and it’s almost nonexistent in the Philosopher’s Stone. There’s two reasons this may have happened. My Blood Orange essential oil is fresher than my Mandarin oil, so it may be more potent. Also, Blood Orange just has a stronger scent profile in general. Mandarin’s an oil I often substitute for Sweet Orange or Tangerine since it plays nicely with a lot of stuff and doesn’t try to steal the show. Blood Orange does.

The Philosopher’s Stone has a peppery bite to it that the Red Stone does not. I suspect the culprit is the Finger Root, which is a “sister smell” to the Ginger I used for the Red Stone blend. Finger Root is a lesser-known oil that I sometimes interchange with Ginger or Turmeric in my synergies. It’s got a slightly earthier smell than Ginger (which is mildly sweet on top of its spice), and packs a bit more heat. It’s also possible that the eugenol content of the Clove Bud oil I used was super high, but the company I got it from didn’t provide a chemical breakdown of the batch. I have no way of knowing.

The Red Stone gives off a weird “burning” smell that the Philosopher’s Stone does not. My guess is it’s the difference between the two Cedarwood oils. Texan Cedarwood (which I used in the Philosopher’s Stone) has a dry firewood smell to it when paired with Sage, but is much milder than Himalayan Cedarwood (which smells a bit more like the “cedar” most people are familiar with). Also, the Red Stone’s secondary resin oil is Myrrh: which can amplify warm smells like Turmeric, Black Pepper, or Cinnamon when mixed in a blend. I think the Myrrh and Himalayan Cedarwood mixed together to cause that effect.

The scent profile is about an 85% match, but that 15% difference puts it almost in an aromatherapeutic uncanny valley: like it’s “not quite right” but close enough to fool someone if they sniffed these two blind and didn’t know they were different blends.

I highly recommend trying both scents out if you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients. It’s a fun activity, and one I’m hoping to do a live demo for at a convention in the future!

[truebjdconfessions]

"First doll" story and a bit about Resinsoul (aka my opinion on those "cheap garbage" dolls) (apologies for any confusion between Bobobie and Resinsoul sculpts, etc… I’m kind of lumping them together here because they are sister companies and so similar from what I know of them.) When I was first getting into the hobby my first doll could have been a light tan Resinsoul An, solely because it was cheap and in stock at DDE. I ended up going for a floating ¼ DZ head instead, which was also a bit of an impulse buy. I planned to get an AOD boy body for her (cheap, and I saw that hybrid somewhere and thought it looked okay), but ended up getting surprised on my birthday with enough money to buy the double jointed DZ girl body which I knew would match and I liked, and I went with it. Having the head was enough to coo over (yes, like one would coo over a baby- she was so precious!) and tide me over until the body, and once I got the body- wow! The posing was amazing! I loved her as a head and having the posable body made my transition into being a bjd owner all the sweeter. I think a Resinsoul body would not have had the same effect, since I’ve read a lot since about how they take work to get the way you want, such as the stringing being off on arrival and such. What you get with the price, at least that’s how it was explained to me. I would probably have been disappointed, or at least not nearly as amazed as I was with the Dollzone, who is still my favorite to this day. Maybe Resinsoul is a good first doll for someone who wants to jump right into the hands on aspect of the hobby, but it wouldn’t have worked for me. However, it’s 4(5?) years later and I’m looking at Bobobie Sprite and thinking, I want to get this doll so I can cherish her to bits. I am aware that there may be work to get her the way I’d want, but at this point I feel I’m ready for it and need a project I can devote time to rather than just buying bjd clothes and wigs online. I’m more ready to put the work in than I was when I first joined the hobby, when I was terrified of just the idea of restringing. Though, I might be able to believe that if I had known about The Junky Spot (was it around back then?) when I was first getting into dolls, then I might have fallen in love with her anyway- or maybe I would have impulse bought her for the convenience like I almost did with the An. I guess I’ll never know, but I’m glad that the doll I did buy was so perfect for me.I’m also reading about how Resinsoul has amazing customer service and turnaround, how they can do custom colors and parts combinations, how they even will accept requests about switching a sculpt’s elf ears with another’s, how their resin is good(or at least decent) quality, how their colors are even, etc, etc… they sound like an amazing company. Even though they weren’t my first choice for First Doll, they are definitely on my list of companies I might love. And seeing the love these owners put into their dolls from there, all the cool and unique characters they shell… that is what showed me that maybe I should look again. And I did. And while many of their 1/3 and above sculpts aren’t really my thing….There’s still Bobobie Sprite. And I’m pretty sure I know what my next doll will be.

~Anonymous