Dolls
I am absolutely mind-bendingly, heart-wrenchingly obsessed with a quirky and magical type of customizable doll called Volks Super Dollfie, which came into our world way back in 1999.
My world hasn't been the same since I found out about Super Dollfie in 2005. They are the absolute perfect doll for my needs as a collector and customizer: their faces are meant to be repainted again and again, their eyes and hair are changeable, and they have weighty resin bodies that are a delight to sew for. 
These days, there are hundreds of types of dolls like Super Dollfie (collectors call them BJD or Ball Jointed Dolls) but the original first decade of Super Dollfie made by Volks are my absolute favorite, and make up the bulk of my collection.
At this point, I have been collecting these dolls for most of my life, and I have over 25 of these dolls in my home. I believe I have nearly every facemold I have ever wanted, and so my collection is very close to complete... save for a few near-impossible holy grails (looking specifically at Volks MSDs Elsie and Akira-- who, while not particularly sought-after, always manage to slip from my grasp T__T)
So what does one do with this kind of hobby when you're mostly done collecting? That's a great question! Since Super Dollfie are made to be customized, it means my fun as a collector has just begun. I have endless projects on the docket still, after all these years-- faces to paint, eyes to make, clothes to sew. I am now entering an era where I interact with my hobby in a way that is more creative than consumptive-- I want to DIY everything I can, and dream of how I can learn new skills to make each doll's unique personality shine.
Many BJD owners like to imagine a storyline that the characters they create take part of-- And I am no different! Inspired by the Chinese legend Water Margin, I imagine each doll as being marked by a particular star, and the characters have been brought together for a mysterious greater purpose. If I had endless time and energy, I'd love to relearn RPG Maker and make a cute game about these characters, but realistically that game has pretty much already been made, so my energy will probably go towards painting tiny eyebrows instead. :P
Please note that these dolls are NOT for sale, and these profiles are not sales listings-- I made this page to tell you about my dolls, and the world I imagine they live in :D
With no further ado, here are the Stars of Destiny! If you'd like to see what each doll looks like in its default, uncustomized state, you can click the link I've put in Type, and see the Volks promo shots of that facemold. I've put in apporoximate arrival dates when I can, also, but it's been literal decades of collecting now, and there's a lot I can't remember. T_T;;;
Momiji
The Gathering Star
Type: Pureskin MSD Mika
Customizations: Faceup and eyes by me, feet swapped for tabi feet
Story: Momiji seems like an ordinary girl, at first glance-- perhaps a little overly serious, and a little more sarcastic than most girls her age, but nothing alarming. Oddly enough, though, she has the power within her to save the world-- the power she has as the Star of Gathering allows her to sense when other Stars are near. She sees it as her responsibility to bring the Stars together-- even if she's an ordinary girl, she's been blessed with that one gift, and she intends to use it.
Info:Arrived 2005. Originally called Imelda. She was my very first of my dolls, and she is still my queen after all these years.
click to read more about Momiji
Yuzuka
The Guardian Star
Type: Original 1999 Oldskin SD Megu
Customizations: None at all yet!
Story: Momiji's older sister, who was long estranged from her when their parents divorced. Yuzuka is as loud and silly as Momiji is stern and serious. When this Stars of Destiny phenomenon happened, Yuzuka impulsively dropped out of art school to help her little sister in her mission to find the other Stars. Momiji insists she doesn't need her big sister's help, but Yuzuka can't allow her to go it alone. Yuzuka not-so-secretly hopes she can have a normal friendship with her sister once the world is saved...
Info:Arrived 2023. It was important for me to have a first edition Super Dollfie, so I don't regret all the years it took to track her down. However...I dread taking off her original 1999 faceup, it makes me feel so nostalgic.
click to read more about Yuzuka
Miharu
The Star of Heaven
Type: Oldskin FCS F-10
Customizations:Faceup and eyes by me, magnetic hand mods by a previous owner
Story:Daughter of the moon goddess herself, Miharu is bound by duty to solve the mystery of the moon suddenly growing nearer to Earth. This strange, rabbit-eared ballerina was the one who appeared before Momiji, when Momiji's mark appeared, and explained to her that she had a duty to find the others. Miharu, being a sheltered princess and quite literally from the moon, lacks any social grace and can come off as rude and disinterested in us earthly folk.
Info:I adopted this beauty from a lovely person on a Volks discord server and my collection has never felt more complete. I am deeply in love with this head and didn't think I would ever find one, much less a full doll with a matching body! Also she's named for the inimitable Miharu Koshi. :D
click to read more about Miharu
Okuni
The Star of Music
Type: Volks Oldskin Optional Head No. 9 on oldskin SD13 girl body
Customizations:
Story: Thousands of years ago, this celestial entity served as a dancer in the Lunar Matron's heavenly court... but then she simply lost interest and wandered away. She's wandered the earth for centuries, posing as an ordinary shrine maiden, making endless mischief along the way. Miharu thinks she may have some secret insight on why the moon is falling, but free-spirited Okuni, of course, refuses to be beholden to anyone's demands.
Info:Did you know Volks used to sell heads, torsos and even thigh parts seperately for you to buy and assemble? Well, Okuni here is one of those heads! She's very difficult to paint-- I have a hard time nailing down an expression for her-- but I love having her here.
click to read more about Okuni
Shigeharu
The Guileless Star
Type: Oldskin SD13 Boy Kai
Customizations:
Story:
Info: Arrived 2023, adopted from a lovely person on the Volks Super Dollfie discord! I always knew I wanted a Lucas/Chris/Kai/F-28/F-16 because they have the most soulful deep-set eyes.... but I had to have the one that was perfect for me. Shigeharu is that, a million times over, and I absolutely cannot wait to customize him.
click to read more about Shigeharu
Katsumi
Star of Wealth
Type: Oldskin Optional Head F-04on an SD10 girl body
Customizations: Faceup and eyes by me
Story:
Info: Arrived 2023? Another one of the oldskin optional heads! I've loved this one for forever so it felt like a dream come true to finally paint this guy. Felt also very validating to finally have a doll that has similar hyper-androgynous/"femboy" gender presentation to me hahah.
click to read more about Katsumi
Cyril
The Dog Star
Type: Pureskin Sunlight FCS F-22 on SD13 boy body
Customizations:
Story:
Info: Arrived 2008-- Originally called Francis.
click to read more about Cyril
Astrid "Schneewittchen" Trafford
The Vanquished Star
Type: Pureskin FCS F-05
Customizations:
Story:
Info: You'd never think Astrid was born a princess, from her calloused hands and her habits of drinking and swearing like a dwarven scullery maid. She fled to the woods some years ago, to escape her stepmother's murderous wrath, and now seeks a safe, quiet life with her fae prince husband. She'll have to wait for her peace-- mysterious marks appeared on her and her loved ones overnight, and she fears it may have something to do with the Queen... Hoisting her battleaxe over her shoulder, she's ready to do her best for the other Stars of Destiny.
click to read more about Astrid
Kyouko Le Blanc
Star of Magic
Type: Oldskin MSD Mary
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Kyouko
Junko Le Blanc
Star of Noble Wisdom
Type: Oldskin FCS F-11
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Junko
Ligeia, Princess of Hell, Daughter of Stolas
The Devil Star
Type: Pureskin Nono 13 or Ryo on an SD Boy body I found for her much later.
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Ligeia
Sparkle Lyra
The Star of Heroic Ferocity
Type: Oldskin Myu
Customizations:
Story:
Info: I found her on Yahoo!Japan auctions one day in rough shape with unfinished eye mods... and I simply had to have her, and take her home and care for her. She was a labor of love from beginning to end, and is one of the modding projects I'm most proud of. Sparkle on, Lyra. T_T
click to read more about Sparkle Lyra
Chiyo
The Searching Star
Type: Oldskin Ian
Customizations:Faceup by me
Story: Raised by rabbits, Chiyo bid her warren home goodbye when her mark appeared-- She didn't know what she was looking for, only that she must find it. She has a more potent form of Momiji's power-- she is drawn like a magnet to other Stars. She's unused to dealing with other humans, unfortunately, and erupts into tears the moment she gets nervous. She looks up to Momiji's stoic confidence, and might be forming a crush on her.
Info: I fell in love with Ian when I got the chance to meet one at NYD2... Felt so lucky to get her! Ian is much smaller than a standard MSD, and not a ton bigger than a Yo-SD in terms of wig and shoe size. So while it can be hard to find things that fit her, she's pretty much my ideal size doll.
click to read more about Chiyo
Ranmaru
The Orphan Star
Type: Pureskin Yo-SD Suzuna (first release) on...a bizarre hybrid of a yo-tenshi and default yosd body o-o;
Customizations:
Story: Ranmaru was once the beloved firstborn son of a rich family... until he turned his nursemaid into a frog. Fearing he was an unseelie changeling, his family stranded him in the woods, where Astrid and Cyril found him. They took him in as their own-- hopeful to help the child gain mastery of his new magical ability. He loves frogs, and will turn anyone into a frog if he's fond enough of them.
Info:
click to read more about Ranmaru
Odette
The Flying Star
Type: Yo-Tenshi Mika
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Odette
Oberon
The Star of Earth
Type: MSD F-13 head with elf ears option ^_^ and an MSD boy body I found later
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Oberon
Spearmint
The Star of the Standing Spear
Type: Oldskin MSD Nasia
Customizations:Eyes and nose sanded considerably by previous owner, I just kind of smoothed some things out here and there and beveled her eyes a little so she could wear big big mm eyes comfortably. She also had these amazing optional elf ears that are custom, that I assume they sculpted/casted themselves!
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Spearmint
Arjava
Star of Conflagration
Type: Dollstown Byula on what I believe is their 18F body
Customizations: Dyed and chest sanded flat by me!
Story: There's supposedly a young warrior-monk living in hermitage at the top of Destroyer's Peak, in the ruins of the temple there. Miharu says she had been marked before-- on the previous mission entrusted to the Stars of Destiny. Arjava feels as though the Destroyer wants the world to end, if the moon is falling-- and she's not coming along without a fight. Perhaps a good old-fashioned trial by combat could sway her...
Info: My only non-volks doll and my only 70cm! They're super giant so I find them really hard to work on...
click to read more about Arjava
Maria-Perpetua
The Star of Sin
Type:Pureskin Cyndy on SD girl body
Customizations:
Story: Centuries ago, when a young nun was turned into a vampire, she thought her soul was tainted forever. In an ill-fated attempt to atone, she sought out every vampire she could, to bring them before the church. This accomplished nothing but making her a world of enemies-- Still, today, she is attacked again and again by her vampiric kin. It's been a long and lonely life-- perhaps she's a little too excited to make friends out of the other Stars.
Info: This is my SD10 that had the dreaded knee crack so many years ago!
click to read more about Maria-Perpetua
Fennel Aldridge
The Lofty Star
Type:Pureskin FCS F-15 (same as Syo mold)
Customizations:Faceup by me
Story: A famous world-class swordswoman who disappeared from the human world when she became Maria-Perpetua's vampire protege. She looks at the Stars of Destiny with mistrust, and seeks to keep her trusting and idealistic Sire out of any danger that may envelop her. Fennel has spilled blood to protect her Sire too many times to count-- why should it be any different now?
Info:
click to read more about Fennel
Agnes
The Barbarous Star
Type:Oldskin SD Rio
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Agnes
Gardenia
The Longevity Star
Customizations: None yet, currently has a faceup from an unknown artist
Story: The sire of Maria-Perpetua, a truly ancient vampire. Despite the immense power of her malevolent aura, she is a deeply pleasant and carefree person who just happens to slumber for decades at a time in her crypt. She's awoken from her sleep knowing there's something she must do... Her dear protege needs her help.
Info: Someday I plan to get her a DearSD or DD-like body.... I just can't decide which and I have so little room in the office ._.
click to read more about Gardenia
Ambroise
The Star of Lust
Type:Pureskin F-10 (same as Four Sisters 13 mold)
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click here to read more about Ambroise
Hyacinth
The Least Star
Type:Oldskin Shrine Maiden Nono on modern pureskin SD girl body
Customizations: custom faceup and eyes by me, and allover sanding on head for de-yellowing (he was green when he arrived here T_T) I also had to put him on a whole new body due to a really scary mishap attempting to sand his chest flat. SO, lessons learned...
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Hyacinth
Biscuit
The Elegant Star
Type:Oldskin Syo on SD girl body
Customizations:
Story:
Info: Arrived 2022?
click to read more about Biscuit
Sugar
The Ugly Star
Type:Oldskin Kira
Customizations:
Story:
Info: Arrived 2023?
click to read more about Sugar
Marzipan
The Thieving Star
Type:Oldskin MSD Nagisa (first release)
Customizations:
Story:
Info:
click to read more about Marzipan