Aren

Face-up artist(s):

gabriel

Date of acquisition:

June 2017

Provenance:

Bought as a repair project from elijahfeathers, who had bought him secondhand! He's been through some owners, it seems!

Reason for choice:

He had a cute face and I wanted to see if I could fix him!

Best Points:

His face, his sculpting, and how dense and thick his resin is! He's such a high quality doll that his age hasn't detracted from him at all! Even his yellowing is graceful!

Worst Points:

His ankles are pretty terrible and need the support of boots. His posing is limited, and while wiring him through with thick armature wire has done much to improve his posing and stability, his standing poses are still limited by 1) his ankles, 2) the engineering of his hips, and 3) the sheer weight of his torso and head.

He also likes to fall into things. :')

Aren was my first SD, never really meant to have a character or have anything going on beyond me repairing his broken leg and just having a big ol' doll loafing around.

The outside of his knee on his thigh piece had a piece broken off by a previous owner, leaving him completely unable to stand on his own. He had also had his head cap glued, a wig glued onto him, part of his ear drilled through and broken, and gosh knows what else.
During his time with Elijahfeathers she saw to it that he was given a proper faceup and ear repaired by Gabriel. Gabriel did an excellent job, as the repair is seamless, and his face came out absolutely perfect. However, Elijah was unable to complete his restoration and put him up for sale.

I tried to resist him. I tried not to keep coming back to him. In the end, I gave in and threw the money down. His face was just too cute to pass!

I've since wired him completely through legs and arms-- and let me tell you, wiring the Volks SD10 body is a nightmare! I then went on to repair his knee with miliput, sculpting it anew and thickening the piece to better withstand the stress it would endure.
(should anyone want pictures of the fix and the details of the process, I'd be glad to share)

#lashgate2k18: He had an oops when one of his lashes came out while I was fixing his eyes. It took a piece of his faceup with it and I swear I could hear Sarah Mclachlan singing in the distance...I'd never repaired a faceup so fast in my life, and to go with his repair? New lashes. The old ones were done for.

Next on my list of things to do with him:
- More outfits! Accessories! Spoil the boy!
- I want to make him a few fine chain necklaces and belt doo-dads...and bracelets.
- Weather his boots some. They look too pristine. Maybe weather his coat as well.
- Blush his hands.
- Weigh options for modding his ankles and hips for stability.
- Find him a friend or twenty and keep working on his character as he reveals it!

I absolutely adore this doll. Being old as he is, and on the side of butterball yellow, I'm not afraid to let him sit on my desk and gaze judgingly at me. This is one that will never leave my collection, and gosh dangit I wouldn't have it any other way.

Eyes:

16mm gray glass with detailing, sparkles, and blue pupils

Wig:

Crobidoll CRWL-28 (french gray)

Favourite colours:

Gray, silver, black, and oilslick blues and purples.

Fashion style(s):

Some kinda flavor of fantasy!

Key fashion accessory:

His headband, jewelry, and boots!

Truth be it, Aren's entire outfit was meant for another doll that I ended up selling as soon as I received. Things don't fit him exactly, being that the doll meant for the outfit had broader shoulders, longer arms, and a slimmer waist, but somehow it looked much better on Aren anyhow. He's rocking that "I'm short and you can tell" look.
I bought the outfit from Capsuledoll on Etsy who made it according to my preferences: a wrap-top, long harem pants, a waist wrap, an overcoat, arm warmers, and a scarf!
I lost the arm warmers and had to make some new ones, and while I was at it I made him a set of necklaces and bracelets, some extra belts, and doo-dads for visual flavor.

His outfit isn't finished, though. I intend to arm him with dolly weaponry, develop a more wintery look, and maybe commission some more summery pieces so that he doesn't look like he's broiling all the time!

Name story:

I wanted a name that felt like it could fit in a fantasy setting-- something easy to say, easy to read, and somewhat generic. It's a pretty name, I think, and in some Eastern European languages it means "eagle"...

I'm weak for bird-related names. :D

(For too long tho I called him Darth Boy)

Character age:

Appears to be in his early 20's with the gift of a youthful face, and he'll grab a number somewhere in the 20's, but his true age is inknown.

Character gender:

Male

Offsite roleplay:

This doll's character is available for offsite roleplay.

Grim and bordering on humorless, Aren is the wet blanket of any group he ends up in. There are times where he can seem a little too blunt or outright abrasive; when he lashes out, it's clear to see why he doesn't seem to keep any friends about. Who would want to put up with a the savagery of a salty pipsqueak's words?

Don't expect to hear him reminisce about his childhood, let alone reveal his origins. All anyone needs to know is that he's got the hands of a healer and a particular gift for setting broken bones, almost as if they bend and align simply because he wills it.

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